Apparatus for conveying weft-bobbins to the automatic bobbin-change of a mechanical loom



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Jan. 11, 1966 H. M VEYING WE CHAN APPARATUS FOR CON FT-BOBBINS TO THE AUTOMATIC BOBBIN- GE OF A MECHANICAL LOOM Filed Jan. 28, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Irwsutoz:

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Jan. 11, 1966 H. MERK! APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING WEFT-BOBBINS TO THE .iUTI'fOMATlICv BOBBIN-GHANGE OF A MECHANICAL LOOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1965 United States Patent M 3,228,431 APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING WEFT-BOBBINS TO THE AUTOMATIC BOBBIV-CHANGE OF A ME- CHANICAL LOOM Hermann Merki, Ruti, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Maschineufabrik Riiti AG, formerly Caspar Honegger, Ruti, Zurich, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Jan. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 254,334 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Mar. 16, 1962, 3,155/62 7 Claims. (Cl. 139-245) The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for feeding the weft-bobbins to the automatic bobbinchange of a mechanical loom with the aid of magazines, in which the bobbins l-ie loosely over one another in several layers without partition walls as well as also lying adjacent one another.

In accordance with the present invention, the magazines exhibit in their emptying position at the automatic bobbin-change inclined boundaries with respect to the horizontal for the purpose of forming a trough or bucket, to the lowest location of which the bobbins tend to roll under the influence of gravity. The apparatus is further provided with an upwardly and downwardly movable gripper having a path of travel which extends into the magazine and is directed to the lowest location thereof, as well as a drive for moving the gripper for the purpose of engaging and lifting at lea-st one bobbin, to transfer the same into the inlet opening of a bobbin channel of the automatic bobbin-change.

In known apparatus of the aforementioned type, emptying of the magazine from its lowest location occurs by means of a gripper which is moved up and down in a guide parallel to the walls of the bobbin magazine. The guide must be relatively long, corresponding to the height of the bobbin magazine. Accordingly, the gripper itself exhibits relatively long arm members which must be raised high above the bobbin magazine. Thus such an apparatus requires a considerable amount of space. extended condition tend to vibrate, which vibrations are caused by the pick and the movement of the slay of the loom.

The present invention therefore has as one of its primary objects to provide an improved apparatus which effectively overcomes the abovementioned disadvantages.

The apparatus of the present invention is essentially characterized by the fact that, the upwardly and downwardly movoble gripper is arranged on swivel arms which are supported on a plate member displaceable in a guide, and that one of the swivel arms is articulated to a lever rockable or pivotable about a stationary axis or shaft for guiding the gripper.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of improved apparatus for conveying weftbobbins to the automatic bobbin-change of a mechanical loom in a. reliable and efficient manner.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for transferring weft-bobbins from a supply magazine to the bobbinchange mechanism of a loom in a fully automatic manner, with said bobbin transfer apparatus being relatively simple and compact in structure, highly reliable in operation, as well as capable of operating without being severely subjected to vibrations and wear.

It is another important object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for effectively transferring bobbins from a supply location to another work station in a relatively simple, yet highly reliable and positive manner.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to Additionally, the long arms of the gripper in' 3,228,431 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 provide an improved apparatus for conveying weft-bobbins to the automatic bobbin change of a mechanical loom including an upwardly and downwardly movable gripper for engaging the weft-bobbins, swivel arms for said movable gripper, and a plate member movable in a guide arrangement operably associated with said swivel arms.

These and still further objects and the entire scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific example, while indicating a preferred embodiment of the invention, is given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 illustrates in perspective view a portion of the bobbin channel of an automatic bobbin-change, a bobbin magazine disposed in the emptying position, and the means for automatically transferring the bobbins from the magazine into the bobbin channel; and

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate in perspective details of the bobbin gripper depicted in FIGURE 1, in enlarged scale, and as viewed from different sides thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that in FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a bobbin channel 11 which advantageously extends at an inclination with respect to the horizontal. The bobbin channel 11 is provided with an inlet opening 12 for the weft-bobbinbs 13 brought to the loom from a winder (not shown) by means of the magazines 14, for convenience in illustration only one such magazine 14 is shown. The end of the bobbin channel 11 directed away from the inlet opening 12 leads to a non-illustrated automatic bobbin-change of the loom. The details of the automatic bobbin-change are not shown because such is not claimed in the present application. Such automatic bobbin-change may, for example, be of the type disclosed in the commonly assigned, copending United States application Serial No. 28,350, filed May 11, 1960, now abandoned, invented by Hans Zollinger. Moreover, automatic bobbin-change mechanisms of other constructions than that of the aforementioned copending application may be employed. In the illustrated embodiment, each magazine 14 possesses the shape of a rectangular or right-angle container or box which is open at the top, and in which the bobbins 13 lie in loosely stacked condition above one another in several layers and without partition walls also lie adj acent one another.

In the illustrated emptying position, the magazine 14 rests upon support members 15 secured to the loom frame (not shown), in such a manner that its walls and bottom are inclined to the horizontal. The bobbins 13 located in the magazine 14 can thus automatically roll under the influence of gravity towards the lowest location of said magazine. For the sake of simplicity, the means, if required, for automatically transporting the magazine 14 to the loom have not been illustrated.

The means serving to transfer the bobbins 13 from the magazine 14 into the bobbin channel 11 comprises swivel arms 16 and 17 which are pivotably or hingedly connected by means of a bolt member 19 to a triangular plate member 21. An arm member 18 extending parallel to the swivel arm members 16, 17 is likewise pivotably connected with the plate member 21 by means of a bolt member 20. The triangular plate member 21 is secured to a slide 24 through the agency of two screws 22 and 23, said slide being displaceably supported in two slotted guide holes or recesses 25 and 26 of a guide device 27. The guide device 27 is connected to the loom frame (not shown) and possesses the same inclination as the support members 15 and the bottom or floor of the bobbin magazine 14.

Additionally, the swivel arm members 16, 17 and 18 are articulated or hingedly connected to a plate member 30 through the agency of two bolt' members 28- and 29. A gripper 32 for the bobbins 13 is connected to the plate member 30' through the intermediary of a leaf spring 31. The gripper 32, more clearly illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3, will be described in detail shortly hereinafter. The swivel arms 16, 17 and 18 as well as the plate members 2'1 and 30 collectively forma parallelogram, which upon pivoting of the swivel arm members 16, 17 and 18 provides for a displacement of the gripper 32 in a direction which is parallel to itself.

A control lever 24 is pivoted to the swivel arms 16 and 17 by means of a clamp member 33, said control lever being connected at its other end to a shaft member 35 rotatably mounted to the loom frame. The guide device 27 serves to guide the bolt member 19 in a radial direction with respect to the shaft 35. The clamp member 33 is preferably located in the middle of the swivel arms 16, 17, whose length is advantageously twice as great as the length of the lever arm of the control lever 34 connected with such swivel arms. By virtue of such arrangement there is attained the desired result that, upon rocking or pivoting of the swivel arms 16, 17 and 18 about the bolt members 19 and 20, the gripper 32 always moves upwards and downwards in a straight line and parallel to the walls of the magazine 14, whereby the plate member 21 is displaced along the guide device 27, whereas the control lever 34 is pivoted about the shaft 35 so that the clamp member 33 describe a circular arc.

Furthermore, a double-arm lever 36 is connected to the shaft 35, the one end of which is provided with a bolt member 38 guided in a guide slot or recess 39 of a rod member 40. The rod member 40 is articulated at its lower end to a crank member 42 provided for raising and lowering the gripper 32, said crank member in turn being connected to a shaft 43. The shaft 43 is suitably connected in a non-illustrated manner with the continuous drive for the loom.

The double-arm lever 36 i provided at its lower end with a roller 45 cooperating with a pawl or detent 46 connected to a shaft 47. A bobbin carrier 48 is connected to the shaft 47 and serves to receive an individual bobbin 13 which is removed from the magazine 14 by the gripper 32. A weight 49 connected to the shaft 47 strives to pivot the bobbin carrier 48 after the receipt of a bobbin 13 out of the path of movement of the gripper 32, whereupon the weft-bobbin 13 transferred from the gripper 32 to the bobbin carrier 48 can fall into the bobbinchannel 11.

A feeler member 51 is pivotably mounted to the loom frame by means of a shaft member 50, said feeler member serving to test for, or determine the supply of bobbins in the bobbin channel 11. The shaft member 50 further supports a level 52 provided with a nose portion 53. Moreover, a flap member 54 is pivotably connected to the lever 52 by means of a pin member 55, whereby the flap member 54 normally lies upon the nose portion 53, and therefore can only swing out in an upward direction. The nose portion 53 works together with an angle plate 56 of the double-arm lever 36.

A lever member 57 is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis or shaft 58 on the loom frame. The upper end of. the lever member 57 also works together with the angle plate 56 of the double-arm lever 36, whereas the lower non-visible end of the lever member 57 abuts against the bobbin magazine 14. This lever member 57 prevents actuation of the gripper 32 when a bobbin magazine 14 is not available, as will be more fully explained shortly. An extension arm member 59 provided With a roller 60- is connected to the swivel arm 17 and serves to actuate the gripper 32.

By referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, the details of the gripper assembly 32 are shown with greater clarity, and it will readily be seen that the gripper 32 comprises a pair of clamping jaws 61 and 62. The one clamping jaw 62 is connected via the leaf spring 31 to the plate member 30, in a manner best shown in FIGURE 1-, whereas the.

other clamping jaw 61 is pivotably connected to the clamping jaw 62 by means of a shaft or pin member 63. Both of the clamping jaws 6-1 and 62 are provided with a recess or groove 61a and 62a, respectively, for engaging or grasping the neck portion of av bobbin 13 to be raised, and under the influence of a spring. 64 to clampingly seize such. Moreover, each clamping jaw 61, 62 in the desired form illustrated is provided at its lower end with tapered portions 61b and 62b, respectively, which converge in a direction towards the bobbin-receiving grooves 61a and 62a, respectively. These tapered portions 61b and 62b provide a wedge action to facilitate opening of the clamping jaws 61 and 62 under their own weight when the gripper 32 is lowered into the magazine for contact with the bobbins 13 located therein.

member being provided with a pair of guides or lips 66. A guide rod 67 is displaceably supported in the guides 66 and is pulled into its lowermost position by means of a spring 68 which as shown, on the one side engages the plate member 65 and, on the other side engages the upper end of the guide rod 67 (see FIG; 3). Further, a feeler 69 is displaceably supported in a guide 70 arranged on the plate member 65. The feeler 69 strives to assume under the influence of its own weight the position indicated in FIGURE 2. A slide member or sleeve 71 is displaceably guided on the pivotable clamping jaw 61.

and exhibits a pair of dogs or earns 72 and 73. The cam 72 of the slide member 71 cooperates with the feeler 69 and prohibits unintentional opening of the two clamping,

jaws 61 and 62 a-fterthe gripper 32 has. engaged a bobbin 13. The other cam 73 cooperates with the roller member 60 (FIGURE 1) connected to the swivel arm 17 by means of the extension arm 59 in. order to open the gripper 32 for release of the seized bobbin.

The mode of operation of the described apparatus is as follows: As long as the bobbin channel 11 is filled with bobbins 13 to such an extent that the last or trailing'bobbin 13 is disposed beneath the bobbin feeler 51, the latter prevents further removal of weft-bobbins 13 from the magazine 14 by the gripper 32. Since the bobbin feeler 51 bears against the last bobbin 13 the nose member 53 of the lever 52 is pivoted into the range of the angle plate 56. The angle plate 56 thus abuts against the nose 53,. and therebythe double-arm lever 36 is locked against any pivotal movement which would initiate movement of. the gripper'32. The rod member 40 is raised and lowered by means of the continuously driven crank arm 42, whereby the rod member 40 provided with. the guide slot 39 slides along the bolt 38 of the double-arm lever 36. The gripper 32 is located approximately in its uppermost position, as shown in full lines in FIGURE 1. Only when the rod member 40 at times moves into its upper dead-center position, does the lower end of the guide recess 39 abut against the bolt member 38, which thereupon moves upwardly a further small distance and is then again lowered into the illustrated position when the rod member 40 again moves downwardly. During the time that the rod member 40 moves through its upper dead-center position, the doublearm lever 36 is thereby pivoted a small extent in the counter-clockwise direction of FIGURE ,1, so that the angle plate 56 is momentarily freed from the nose member 53 of the lever 52. It will be remembered, however, that the bobbin feeler 51' is still raised by the bobbin 13 disposed therebelow, so that the double-arm lever 36 is still efiectively blocked against causing a lowering of the gripper 32.

A plate member 65 is. suitably connected to the clamping jaw 62, said plate Now, when the bobbin channel 11 has emptied to such an extent that a bobbin 13 is no longer present beneath the bobbin feeler 51, then the gripper 32 can begin to remove weft bobbins 13 from the magazine 14. Thus, if the rod member 40 then moves through its next upper dead-center position and the double-arm lever 36 is thereby pivoted a small extent in the counter-clockwise direction, so that the angle plate 56 frees the nose member 53 of the lever 52, the bobbin feeler 51 can then fall downwardly because a weft-bobbin 13 is no longer disposed beneath said bobbin feeler. The nose member 53 somewhat displaced due to dropping of the bobbin feeler 51 thereby completely reaches outside of the blocking range of the angle plate 56. Now, as soon as the rod member 40 is lowered by movement of the crank arm 42, the bolt 38 follows the lower end of the guide slot 39 under the influence of gravity, whereby the double-arm lever 36 is pivoted in the clockwise direction of FIGURE 1. The wedge-like angle plate 56 which by lowering of the bobbin feeler 51 has been freed from the nose 53 and then can move through a path of travel so as to be disposed beneath the flap member 54, abuts from below during the mentioned clockwise pivoting of the lever 36 against the flap member 54 which is also then pivoted, so that the angle plate 56 can freely move upwardly and can assume the position 56' shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 1.

Also the crank or control lever 34 provided with the clamp 33 is pivoted with the double-arm lever 36 via the shaft into the position 34' shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 1. As a result the swivel arms 16, 17 and 18 are downwardly pivoted about the bolts 19 and 20, and at the same time the latter are displaced together with the plate member 21 along the guide device 27. The gripper 32 thereby moves along a linear or straight line path parallel to the left-hand Wall of the magazine 14 of FIGURE 1, downwardly into the magazine 14 until a bobbin 13 arrives between both of the clamping jaws 61 and 62 of the gripper 32, and thereby a further lowering movement of the gripper 32 is prevented. Such lowered position 32 of the gripper 32 is likewise depicted in phantom lines in FIGURE 1. If necessary, the guide rod 67 assists in bringing the bobbins 13 to be engaged within the effective operating range of the gripper 32. When a bobbin 13 is correctly supported in the bobbin-receiving grooves 61a and 62a of the gripper 32 then the feeler member 69 associated with the bobbin gripper 32 is raised by the head of the engaged bobbin 13 to such an extent that the feeler member 69 bears against the cam 72, whereby an unintentional opening of the gripper 32 is prevented because the clamping jaw 61 cannot then be pivoted.

After the rod member has moved through its lower dead-center position it then again moves upwardly, whereby after the lower end of its guide slot 39 bears against the bolt member 38 the gripper 32 together with the seized bobbin moves upwardly and the double-arm lever 36 is pivotably returned in counter-clockwise direction. Shortly before the rod member 40 has reached its upper deadcenter position, the roller member disposed at the lower end of the double-arm lever 36 abuts against the pawl 46, which is then pivoted in such a manner by the roller member 45 that the bobbin carrier 48 operatively connected with the pawl 46 arrives beneath the gripper 32 and the raised bobbin 13.

Shortly thereafter, that is approximately in the uppermost position of the gripper 32, the roller 60 abuts against the clamp-release cam 73 of the slider 71, so that the latter is first upwardly displaced on the clamping jaw 61, whereby the clamp-locking cam 72 slides-off of the clamplocking feeler 69 and prepares the gripper 32 for opening thereof. Directly thereafter the roller 60 pushes the pivotable clamping jaw 61 against the action of the spring 64 into its open position, so that the raised bobbin 13 is freed and falls onto the properly positioned bobbin carrier 48.

During subsequent lowering of the gripper 32 the pawl 46 is freed from the roller 45', whereupon the bobbin carrier 48 is pivoted under the action of the weight 49 in such a manner that the supported bobbin 13 rolls from the bobbin carrier 48 into the bobbin channel 11, and after the angle plate 56 has raised the feeler 51. In this latter regard, it should be recalled that the bob-bin feeler 51 when in its lowered position blocks movement of any bobbins located behind such feeler down into the bobbin channel 11. Thus, provision must be made for raising the bobbin feeler 51 to permit the bobbins 13 transferred from the magazine 14 to continuously stack-up behind those bobbins already in the bobbin channel 11. Such is achieved during the return or counterclockwise movement of the double-arm lever 36, that is when the angle plate moves from position 56' to the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 1, in that the angle plate 56 during such return movement presses against the flap member 54 to thereby raise the bobbin feeler 51. In the described manner and by means of the gripper 32 individual bobbin 13 are raised one after the other out of the magazine 14 and transferred into the bobbin channel 11, until the bobbin feeler 51 is again blocked in the illustrated position by a bobbin.

If the bobbin magazine 14 is removed then the doublearm lever 57 rotates under its own weight in the counterclockwise direction of FIGURE 1 to such an extent that the upper end of the lever 57 comes into contact with the angle plate 56 disposed at the lower end of the double-arm lever 36, whereby each further movement of said double-arm lever and therewith the entire gripper device is prevented. Only upon application of a new bobbin magazine 14 is the double-arm lever 36 again freed by the lever 57, in that the bobbin magazine 14 abuts against the non-illustrated lower end of said lever 57 to rotate the upper end of lever 57 out of contact with angle plate 56.

While there is shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention i not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the present invention, what is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. A device for removing weft-bobbins from a supply magazine and adapted to transfer the removed bobbins to an automatic bobbin-change, said device comprising:

a magazine for bobbins having bot-tom wall means and upstanding side walls; I said bottom wall means being inclined to cause all of said bobbins in said magazine to roll under the influence of gravity toward one of said side walls; said magazine having an open top through which bobbins can be selectively removed;

gripper means movably mounted above said magazine;

supporting means disposed above said magazine for mounting said gripper means;

said supporting means haw'ng opposed first and second end portions;

said gripper means being attached to said supporting means first end portion;

guide means inclined at the same angle as said magazine bottom wall means and hence being disposed in spaced parallel relation thereto; slida-ble means movable along said guide means; said supporting means second end portion being pivot ally connected to said slidable means; and

operating means connected to said upporting means for movement thereof to pivot said second end portion and to move said slidab'le means along said guide means;

said supporting means movement imparting a linear movement to said gripper means, said linear movement being parallel to said one magazine side Wall; said gripper means thus being operative to enter said 7 magazine through its open top to engage and remove bobbins from within said magazine.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 further including a bobbin channel and means for transferring bobbins seized by said grippers means and removed one after the other through the top of said magazine to said bobbin channel.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 further including bobbing feeler means cooperating with said bobbin channel for sensing presence of bobbins therein for initiating a bobbin-engaging movement of said gripper means when an inadequate supply of bobbins are disposed in said bobbin channel and for blocking said bobbin-engaging movement of said gripper means when an adequate number of bobbins are available in said bobbin channel.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting means defines a parallelogram arrangement.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said slidable means includes a plate member and wherein swivel arm means are operatively connected at one end to said plate member and at the other end to said gripper means.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said operat ing means includes a fixedly positioned, rotatably mounted shaft and a pivotal control lever mounted to said shaft, said swivel arm means being hingedly connected at the central region thereof with said pivotal control lever for imparting said linear movement to said gripper means.

7. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said gripper means comprises a pair of clamping jaws for engaging a bobbin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,957,497 10/1960 Baumann 139-245 3,122,268 2/1964 Lutz et a1 139-245 X FOREIGN PATENTS 212,233 12/ 1960 Austria. 220,097 3/ 1962 Austria. 572,224 11/ 1958 Belgium. 1,280,356 11/1961 France.

20 DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

J. KEE CHI, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR REMOVING WEFT-BOBBINS FROM A SUPPLY MAGAZINE AND ADAPTED TO TRANSFER THE REMOVED BOBBINS TO AN AUTOMATIC BOBBIN-CHANGE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: A MAGAZINE FOR BOBBINS HAVING BOTTOM WALL MEANS AND UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS; SAID BOTTOM WALL MEANS BEING INCLINED TO CAUSE ALL OF SAID BOBBINS IN SAID MAGAZINE TO ROLL UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY TOWARD ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS; SAID MAGAZINE HAVING AN OPEN TOP THROUGH WHICH BOBBINS CAN BE SELECTIVELY REMOVED; GRIPPER MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ABOVE SAID MAGAZINE; SUPPORTING MEANS DISPOSED ABOVE SAID MAGAZINE FOR MOUNTING SAID GRIPPER MEANS; SAID SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING OPPOSED FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS; SAID GRIPPER MEANS BEING ATTACHED TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FIRST END PORTION; GUIDE MEANS INCLINED AT THE SAME ANGLE AS SAID MAGAZINE BOTTOM WALL MEANS AND HENCE BEING DISPOSED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION THERETO; SLIDABLE MEANS MOVABLE ALONG SAID GUIDE MEANS; SAID SUPPORTING MEANS SECOND END PORTION BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID SLIDABLE MEANS; AND OPERATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT THEREOF TO PIVOT SAID SECOND END PORTION AND TO MOVE SAID SLIDABLE MEANS ALONG SAID GUIDE MEANS; SAID SUPPORTING MEANS MOVEMENT IMPARTING LINEAR MOVEMENT TO SAID GRIPPER MEANS, SAID LINEAR MOVEMENT BEING PARALLEL TO SAID ONE MAGAZINE SIDE WALL; SAID GRIPPER MEANS THUS BEING OPERTIVE TO ENTER SAID MAGAZINE THROUGH ITS OPEN TOP TO ENGAGE AND REMOVE BOBBINS FROM WITHIN SAID MAGAZINE. 